Fifteen years ago, Russellville native Danny Hale thought there was something missing from Russellville. For an area embedded in the heart of the Arkansas River Valley — just a short drive from the Ozark and the Ouachita mountains, there weren’t any groups dedicated to hiking and exploring those regions.

“I think a lot of people don’t realize what the River Valley has to offer,” Hale said. “We don’t have to drive far to get far out into the woods.”

It wasn’t until Arkansas trail guide, photographer and author Tim Ernst spoke at Gardner Junior High School 15 years ago that Hale saw an opportunity to meet that need.

“We just put out a sign-up sheet to see if there was any interest in a hiking group in Russellville,” Hale explained. “At the end of the night we had 50 signatures.”

And from that, Takahik (pronounced "take a hike") River Valley Hikers was born.

“Mostly my wife and I just wanted someone to hike with,” Hale said. “We didn’t know the trade and we wanted someone to show us around.”

Since that time, Takahik members have been on 383 hikes, had 6,412 hikers and hiked 1,632 miles, with as many as 72 hikers showing up for any given trip.

Suffice to say, they’ve come a long way since snagging 50 signatures at the speaking event. Hale said that he believed their group meets a real need in the community.

“The majority of our hikers are older folks. People who just want to get out and meet people and to experience nature,” Hale said. “And we meet Saturday mornings at Tucker Coliseum, and we get a lot of the foreign exchange students going with us. It’s real interesting to see them get out there and experience the things that we take for granted.”

While the trials may be a challenge for some, Hale said he was constantly surprised at the enthusiasm and longevity of his older members.

“We’ve got people out there older than me who can out hike me,” Hale said. “We’re talking about 80-year-olds who have survived open heart surgery, cancer, and just about every other surgery you can think of. They won’t hardly miss a hike, despite all that. They really step up and take leadership roles.”

Having been traipsing across the Arkansas River Valley for 15 years, Takahik members have walked nearly every trail available multiple times — but Hale keeps it interesting for his hikers.

“Every hike is different,” he said. “I’ve done them over and over and every time I see something new. We also try and hit the trails at different seasons so that people can see what they look like in the fall, winter or spring.”

To keep it further interesting, the group participates in something Hale called “Bushwhacking.”

“We’ll just go out and explore. We may stop the car on the side of the Highway and explore a hollow and see where that takes us. Two or three times a week just go out and explore and see what I can find. It’s exciting for the people who have been with us for a long time because they like to see something new.”

The group also enjoys the occasional geocache — an activity made popular by the invention and availability of the portable GPS device and the Internet. Geocaching is a real-world outdoor treasure hunt. Participants try to locate hidden containers called geochaches using a smart-phone or other GPS device. Treasure hunters are allowed to take what they find, but they are honor-bound to replace it with a little something for the next person.

“I guess the weirdest thing we found was a fifth of whiskey,” Hale said. “And we usually just sign the guest book and leave Takahik decals for whoever comes around next.”

From uncovering hidden treasure, dipping into the many caves that riddle the Ozark Mountains to discovering the region’s pictographs — adventure is there, right in plain sight. Never more than an hour’s drive away.

And Takahik welcomes newcomers.

“You don’t have to have fancy hiking gear,” Hale said. “Just show up. Chances are there’ll be someone there you’ll know. Hikers are friendly people. We’ll try to introduce you to everyone. Someone will likely take you under their wing and walk beside you.”

The group will set off from Tucker Coliseum at 8 a.m. Saturday to explore Tyler Bend. All are welcome. Your life can only be bland if you let it.